5 Korean Movies You Must Check Out

Hello everyone! Today's post is going to be about my favourite Korean movies that I think everyone must check out. The entertainment industry in South Korea is one of my favourites (in terms of music, TV and movies!) and with these movies, it's easy to see why! The genres are varied and have a lot of meaning in them that leave you thinking about them long after the film is finished.

These movies made me cry, laugh, and experience every emotion in between! I hope you'll love them as much as I did!

TRAIN TO BUSAN

I'm starting off with arguably the most popular movie on this list, and that's Train To Busan (2016). Train To Busan is a zombie movie that follows a father and his young daughter as they take a train to a city called Busan. On the way, zombies begin attacking the train and other major cities in Korea. It follows the standard "they get killed off one by one" plot, but along the way you find out more about each character and their stories, and that's what makes it even more upsetting!

The main theme I got from this movie is to appreciate the people around you and spend more time in the present moment. Life is fleeting; you need to tell the people in your life that you love them and that you are grateful for their presence in your life.

The movie stars Gong Yoo who is a very popular actor in Korea (and one of my favourites!). The film has a lot of action and quite a bit of gore, so if that isn't your thing, then the rest of list will have something for you! I give it a 5/5.

A WEREWOLF BOY

From action packed to heart wrenching! A Werewolf Boy (2012) is a movie that explores the life of an old woman as she remembers her time living in a cottage in the countryside. The movie stars Park Bo-Young and Song Joong-Ki as a teenage girl and werewolf boy, respectively.

The two of them develop a strong friendship and it is put to the test by people who want to kill Chul-Soo (the werewolf boy) because they fear him and his behaviours. The two of them have their ups and downs and it all comes to a head 3/4 of the way through! This movie made me cry so hard at the end, but I also have to credit that to the amazing acting. The two main actors had so much chemistry during this movie and it honestly deserves all the praise it got. Definitely not one to watch on a rainy day! I rate this movie 4/5.

PURE LOVE

Another movie you should definitely not watch when it's a rainy day is Pure Love (2016). I'm going to preface this by saying that this is honestly hand on heart the saddest (in a good way!) movie I have ever watched - I texted my friend in tears telling her I felt like my heart was just wrenched out! Don't let that statement put you off though, because you will absolutely enjoy it nonetheless!

The film follows a radio DJ who remembers his teenage life and the girl he fell in love with. The two of them are best friends and they spend a lot of time together. The girl, Soo-Ok has a physical disability in that she cannot walk properly and this brings her a lot of grief and pain. The movie's man theme is pure love and how love can make you look past someone's appearance to see the soul inside.

The film stars Do Kyung-Soo and Kim So-Hyun, both big names in the Korean entertainment industry. I am a big fan of Kyung-Soo and this was the first movie of his that I watched and I was definitely not disappointed. It's easily a 5/5 for me!

THE SILENCED

This is another film that stars Park Bo-Young and thankfully it's not an extremely sad one! Yay!

The Silenced (2015) centres around a school of girls who are unknowingly undergoing medical experiments. The main characters Shizuko (also known as Ju-Ran) and Yeon-Deok try to investigate the mysterious happenings and the school's possible involvement. The two of them become close friends and they work together to find out what is happening to their classmates.

The film is set in 1938, and the overarching theme is the animosity between South Korea and Japan at the time. If you love horror/thriller films, then this is definitely one to watch! Nothing too scary in my opinion, but there are some scenes that will leave you shaken up quite a bit. I discovered this movie on Netflix and I score it a strong 4/5.

MY ANNOYING BROTHER

Finally, we have My Annoying Brother (2017), also known as Hyung (2017).

The film also stars Do Kyung-Soo as Doo-Young, as well as Jo Jung-Suk and Park Shin-Hye.

In the film, Doo-Young loses his sight due to a judo match. His older brother (Jo) learns of his condition and uses it to get parole from prison. The two of them have their arguments and fights, but ultimately realise that they need each other and must get along and look after one another. In this movie we see that through their fights and disagreements, they do love one another and that this should be realised sooner rather than later.

It's not your typical sibling rivalry movie, and the main theme is that you should never take family for granted. This movie was another one that made me cry but I really did enjoy it! I give it a 4/5 because of the great acting and the fact that as you watch you begin to understand each character and their struggles.

Even though I am more of a K-Drama person, when my favourite actors are part of a movie, I make sure to watch it! These films are on the sad side, but like I said - the main themes are so beautiful that they make the whole experience an overall enjoyable one.

If you have a list of your favourite international films, do link them below! I'd love to check them out!